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Powder Mountain

Coordinates: 41°22′48″N 111°46′49″W / 41.38000°N 111.78028°W / 41.38000; -111.78028
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Powder Mountain
Powder Mountain is located in the United States
Powder Mountain
Powder Mountain
Location in the United States
Powder Mountain is located in Utah
Powder Mountain
Powder Mountain
Location in Utah
LocationCache, Weber counties,
Utah, United States
Nearest major cityOgden, Utah
19 miles (31 km) southwest
Coordinates41°22′48″N 111°46′49″W / 41.38000°N 111.78028°W / 41.38000; -111.78028
Vertical2,205 ft (672 m) lift-served
2,522 ft (769 m) via snowcat
Top elevation8,900 ft (2,713 m) lift-served
9,422 ft (2,872 m) via snowcat
Base elevation6,900 ft (2,103 m)
Skiable area8,000 acres (32.4 km2)
4,200 acres (17.0 km2) lift-served
Trails162;
25% beginner
40% intermediate
35% advanced
Longest run3 miles (5 km)
Lift system6 chairs, 3 surface lifts
Lift capacity6,350 skiers per hour
Terrain parks2
Snowfall360 in (30 ft; 9.1 m) per year
Snowmakingnone
Night skiing1 chair, 1 surface lift
Websitehttps://www.powdermountain.com

Established in 1972, Powder Mountain is one of the most treasured ski resorts in North America, renowned for world-class terrain, endless pristine powder, and uncrowded expansive beauty.

Located in the western United States east of Eden, Utah, stretching between Weber and Cache counties in the Wasatch Range, Powder covers 12,000 acres (18.8 sq mi; 48.6 km2), and is one of the largest ski resorts in the U.S..[1][2] The resort has 162 trails, nine lifts, and two terrain parks;[3] it is 55 miles (90 km) northeast of the Salt Lake City International Airport.

Powder is a multi-season mountain destination, home to an expansive public ski resort, an open-air museum of land art and sculpture, and a unique residential neighborhood with dedicated access to private ski lifts, premium amenities, and elevated alpine living.

Powder Haven

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Located at the panoramic summit of Powder Mountain, Powder Haven is the new residential neighborhood.

Powder Haven is a 600-family private-ski community nestled in 12,000 acres of alpine wilderness overlooking the Great Salt Lake.

Homeowners act as stewards, protecting vast open spaces, enhancing the adjacent uncrowded public ski resort, and establishing a unique land art park. Residents enjoy year-round amenities including private ski lifts, lakeside and mountain lodges, and a planned state-of-the-art wellness center. [4]

Powder Art Foundation

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Powder Art Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating the legacy of land art and supporting the vision of contemporary artists on Powder Mountain.

One of the Foundation's key initiatives is to create an open-air museum and sculpture park where visitors will experience site-specific artworks integrated throughout the terrain. This ambitious new project will integrate transcendent works of art into the ruggedly beautiful landscape, with a grand opening slated for Fall 2026.

Access will be free and open to the public for hiking and biking during summer and fall months, and skiable with a season pass or lift ticket during the winter.   

The Powder Art Foundation is made possible through the philanthropic support of founding and principal donor Reed Hastings.

History

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Powder Mountain had been the winter range for Frederick James Cobabe's sheep. Between 1902 and 1948, Cobabe accumulated land around Eden[5] and improved its previous poor land management. The area has been called "one of the best-managed watersheds in the Wasatch Mountains".[5][self-published source]

Cobabe's son Alvin bought his father's livestock company (with its 8,000 acres) in 1948,[citation needed] and later acquired adjacent properties. When he opened Powder Mountain on February 19, 1972, he owned 14,000 acres.[5]

During the resort's first season, the Sundown lift was the only one in operation. The area was illuminated for night skiing, a ski school was established, and food was prepared on an outdoor barbecue. The main and Sundown lodges and the Timberline lift were added during the 1972–73 season.[5]

Alvin Cobabe sold Powder Mountain in 2006 to Western American Holdings.[6] The resort remained under the same management team, led by Aleta Cobabe[5] (Alvin's daughter) during the 2006–07 season. It was purchased by Summit, an event-hosting group, in 2013.[7] Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix and homeowner at Powder, acquired Powder Mountain 2023 and assumed his current role as CEO & Chairman. [8]

Timeline

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  • 1971–72 season: Powder Mountain opens with the Sundown Lift; ski school begins.
  • 1972–73: Main and Sundown lodges and Timberline Lift open.
  • 1975–76: Hidden Lake Lift added.
  • 1981–82: Shuttle service for employees and for Powder Country begin.
  • 1984–85: Powder Mountain is the first Utah resort to permit snowboarding.[citation needed]
  • 1986–87: Hidden Lake Day Lodge opens.
  • 1994–95: Sunrise Lift opens.
  • 1999–2000: The quad Paradise Lift opens an additional 1,300 acres (5.3 km2) of lift-accessed terrain. Snowcatat skiing moves to Lightning Ridge, accessing an additional 700 acres (2.8 km2) acres.
  • 2006–07: A high-speed lift replaces the Hidden Lake Lift.
  • 2012–13: Summit purchases Powder Mountain.[9]
  • 2016–17: The Village Lift and Mary's Lift Skytrac Systems are added.[10][5]
  • 2023: Reed Hastings (co-founder and former co-CEO of Netflix) assumes ownership of Powder Mountain. Introduces blended public-private ski resort model, new real estate development, and plans for open-air museum & sculpture park.

Powder Mountain has five public chairlifts (Timberline, Lightning Ridge, Sundown, Hidden Lake, & Paradise) and three homeowner dedicated lifts (Village, Mary's, & Raintree).[11] Beyond its lift-accessed terrain, it can also be accessed by snowcat, cat skiing and guided tours.[12] Snowcat service is available for Lightning Ridge, near James Peak.[13]

Awards & Accolades

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In 2023, Ski Magazine ranked Powder Mountain #1 in their annual Top 30 Resorts in the West, [14] and Men's Journal named Powder "Best Ski Resort to Avoid the Crowds" in their 2024 Best Ski Resorts in U.S. List. [15] In addition to widespread recognition as one of the best ski resorts in the country, Architectural Digest called Powder "The Hottest Design Destination You Probably Haven't Heard Of" in 2018, due to the unique architectural vision of its residential community. [16]

References

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  1. ^ "Mountain Statistics". Powdermountain.com. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  2. ^ Olmstead, Larry (October 28, 2016). "Utah's Powder Mountain: Inside The Largest Ski Expansion In North American History". Forbes Media. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  3. ^ "Powder Mountain Ski Resort - Map, Weather & Information". Skiuta.com!. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  4. ^ Megroz, Gordy (March 29, 2024). "Can Reed Hastings Disrupt Skiing?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "History of Powder Mountain Resort". Powdermountain.com. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  6. ^ "About #PowMow". Powdermountain.com. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  7. ^ "Why Buy A House When You Can Buy A Mountain?". NPR.org. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  8. ^ Potter, Everett. "Netflix Billionaire Buys North America's Largest Ski Resort". Forbes. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  9. ^ "New owners' updates to keep Powder Mountain the same". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  10. ^ "Utah's Powder Mountain Embarks on Largest Ski Resort Expansion in US History". Tetongravity.com. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  11. ^ "Mountain Statistics". Powdermountain.com. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  12. ^ "Powder Mountain". Powdermountain.com. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  13. ^ "James Peak (UT) : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost". Summitpost.org. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  14. ^ Editors, The (October 20, 2023). "Top 30 Resorts in the West (2024)". SKI. Retrieved September 2, 2024. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  15. ^ Young, David (April 4, 2024). "Best Ski Resorts in U.S. for Iconic Runs and Après-Ski Fun". Men's Journal. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  16. ^ O'Neill, Meaghan (November 13, 2018). "Powder Mountain Is the Hottest Design Destination You Probably Haven't Heard Of". Architectural Digest. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
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